Initial trials of laser weapon
revealed 'unprecedented power' of system, and it will now be tested
against live targets at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico this
year (artist's impression s

hown)

SHIELDS UP!

The AFRL is also working on a defensive laser shield.

A 360-degree laser 'bubble' would surround a U.S. warplane.

That bubble would disable or destroy anything that comes inside, like a missile or another aircraft.

To invent such a shield, you'd need a turret that doesn't interfere with the aerodynamics of the warplane.

A
turret like that has already been successfully tested in partnership
with Lockheed Martin and DARPA, the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency.

'We see the technology evolving and maturing to the stage where it really can be used.'

The
military hopes that the new generation of weapons could lead to radical
changes in the way wars are fought, with planes having unlimited
ammunition - as long as they have enough power.

'You
could have an unlimited magazine ... loitering aircraft that could
address and access a wide variety of targets, Hammett said.

'I
believe we'll have a directed energy pod we can put on a fighter plane
very soon,' Air Force General Hawk Carlisle has claimed at the Air
Force Association Air & Space conference in a presentation on what
he called Fifth-Generation Warfare, according to Ars Technica.

'That day is a lot closer than I think a lot of people think it is.'

The
US Navy has already deployed a laser weapon at sea aboard the USS
Ponce, capable of a range of attacks against small boats, drones, and
light aircraft posing a threat, by blinding sensors or operators or
heating elements to make them fail or explode.

Other
laser weapons are also being tested by the Office of Naval Research for
use on helicopters to protect against man-portable anti aircraft
missiles.

Directed-energy
weapons pods could be affixed to aircraft to destroy or disable
incoming missiles, drones, and even enemy aircraft at a much lower 'cost
per shot' than missiles or even guns, Carlisle suggested.

The
front runner for the Air Force system is believed to be called the
High-Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS), and will create a
laser small enough to be mounted on a plane, and is expected to be
ready for use by 2020.

General Atomics, the firm making, it, has revealed a full scale system is already under construction following tests.

The AFRL is also working on a defensive laser shield.

A 360-degree laser 'bubble' would surround a U.S. warplane.

That bubble would disable or destroy anything that comes inside, like a missile or another aircraft.

To invent such a shield, you'd need a turret that doesn't interfere with the aerodynamics of the warplane.

A
turret like that has already been successfully tested under Hammett at
AFRL in partnership with Lockheed Martin and DARPA, the Pentagon's
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

'It's a huge deal,' Hammett said.

Earlier
this year the US Military Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency
(Darpa) has revealed it has just completed the first tests of the system
that could eventually see laser weapons added to drones and fighter
jets.

They say the weapons shows 'unprecedented power' and are about to begin testing it against live targets on firing ranges.

'The
goal of the HELLADS program is to develop a 150 kilowatt (kW) laser
weapon system that is ten times smaller and lighter than current lasers
of similar power, enabling integration onto tactical aircraft to defend
against and defeat ground threats,' Darpa says.

It said the secretive trials 'demonstrated sufficient laser power and beam quality to advance to a series of field tests.

'The
technical hurdles were daunting, but it is extremely gratifying to have
produced a new type of solid-state laser with unprecedented power and
beam quality for its size,' said Rich Bagnell, yhe projects program
manager.

White Sands Missile range, where the HELLADS laser system is set for field testing this summer.

The laser was developed by DARPA performer General Atomics

'The
HELLADS laser is now ready to be put to the test on the range against
some of the toughest tactical threats our warfighters face.'

Ground-based
field testing of the HELLADS laser is now expected to begin this year
as an effort jointly funded by DARPA and the Air Force Research
Laboratory.

Following
the field-testing phase, the goal is to make the system available to
the military Services for further refinement, testing or transition to
operational use.

The
HELLADS program has been developing an electrically driven solid state
laser at greatly reduced size and weight over lasers of similar power
for tactical use.

The laser was developed by DARPA performer General Atomics

The weapons are expected to be used to shoot down drones.

'Enemy
surface-to-air threats to manned and unmanned aircraft have become
increasingly sophisticated, creating a need for rapid and effective
response to this growing category of threats.

'High
power lasers can provide a solution to this challenge, as they harness
the speed and power of light to counter multiple threats.'

However, they are also likely to be used on bombing raids to target precise locations.

Following
the tests, GA said 'based on the results of the unit cell
demonstration, additional laser modules will be fabricated to produce a
150 kW laser that will be demonstrated in a laboratory environment.'